Hi Guys I am looking at changing my 78 308Gt4 for a 456. I was looking at a DB7 but I think I would rather stay with the Ferrari brand. As far as I have read the engines on the 456 are bullet proof, and as long as the oil and filters are regularly changed they keep going. Can you offer any advise? Are they appreciating as the GT4s are? Will they/do they hold their value? I have seen low mileage 456s for much less that the 308 is currently worth, are the process on the up? gearboxes, any advise please? kind regards Nick
I guess that I can supply some info on this one as I currently have both a 328 GTS and a 456 MGT. The 328 is a very fun car. Handles great and has sufficient, but not excessive, power (mostly at the higher revs) to go as fast as I need to go. It seems to be geared pretty low and I'd prefer a higher top gear for highway driving. I drive the 328 occasionally and enjoy it each time. My 328 has been rock solid. I've had the radiator recorred, had to replace the fuel pump, the ignition wires, some extenders, and one wheel bearing in the 19 years and 26,000 miles that I've owned it. The 456 MGT is more of a grand tourer. It is geared pretty high and the 12 cylinder engine has an amazing amount of low-end torque. It is quite normal for me to be in a gear with the engine turning over at just over 1,500 RPM. The 456 MGT is more comfortable and I use it as a daily driver. At current prices I think the 456 is an amazing deal. I drive the 456 every day and enjoy it each time. On my car, the driver's window doesn't seal completely (and I have the new window mechanism needed to fix the problem but haven't had time to install it yet), the front seats don't automatically move forward when the seat back is moved forward (I haven't debugged this one yet). I had an O2 sensor fail in the two years that I've had the 456 MGT and a bad connection that caused the check engine light to come on a while ago. This is the second 456 that I've owned. A few years ago I owned a '95 456 GT and missed that car when I traded it in. I missed it enough that I sought out the 456 MGT a couple of years ago. Opinions vary a lot but I think that both the 328 and 456 are great cars but the 456 is much more car for the money and easier to use on a daily basis. And did I mention the 12 cylinder engine? Just magic.
I have a 2000 456 MGT (the lack of the "A" at the end indicates that it is the 6 speed manual). My guess is that the 456 won't depreciate too much further but I don't know if it will go up much in value. This might sound strange but I kind of hope that it doesn't go up too much because if it did then I'd have to think twice about using the car as a daily driver (and I love it as a daily driver).
I know this is a Ferrari thread, but don't completely discount the DB7 - if it is a Vantage version (V12) -and especially if it is a convertible. I have both a drop-top DB7V and a DB9. The Aston V12 is sweet and can be very low maintenance. And it is arelatively low premium to go topless in an Aston. That said, I just bought a 550....
The 456 is a great car. I would be hesitant to say it is a near term investment. How long did it take for the GT4 prices to start moving? The Mondials are also just now experiencing some uplift. Buy the car you want to drive.
Nick- Very rarely, there have been sets of bad valve guides in the 456 and 456M. It would probably be a good idea to have a compression and leakdown check done on any prospective 456 or 456M.
